David Noble

David Noble depends on classroom learning to teach his students that they're studying real people with real problems.

David Noble Photo: Diana Watters

“It's crucial for students to know that they're not dealing with abstractions but with living—well, they're dead but they were living— human beings," he says. He even has been known to impersonate prominent historical figures to “help students feel the drama of the moment."

Noble believes that fully understanding the multifaceted situations these historical icons faced gives students invaluable skills in their own lives. “We're always making choices within contexts. But it's much easier to come to know the context you find yourself in if you can compare it with other contexts."